Toy



y 9. 1940- :M. T. GREGG 2,206,950

TOY

Filed Sept. 29, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 9,1940- M. r. GREGG 2,206,950

TOY

Filed Sept. 29, 1937 2 Shasta-Sheet 2.

Patented July 9, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY Marjorie True Gregg, Tamworth, N. H. Application September 29, 1937, Serial No. 166,352

4 Claims. (01. ie-156) This invention relates to an improvement in toys, and more particularly in figure toys of the type which comprise a skeleton frame, covered with suitable material to simulate the contour of the completed toy, and the present application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 58,485, filed January 10, 1936.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a toy of the above-mentioned type, comprising a frame of wire cored strands having an outer villous surface and a blank having a villous surface which covers said frame, whereby the completed doll is soft and yieldable and may be bent at the usual joints and remain bent so that the doll may assume various postures. The covered frame may also be sheathed in a rubber coated fabric which holds the covering blank in place and protects such material.

Other objects will appear from a consideration of the following description of a doll and of an animal embodying this invention, and of the accompanying drawings which illustrate such embodiments, and in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a skeleton frame of a doll embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates the blank by which the frame is covered;

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate two stages in the construction of a doll in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on an enlarged scale taken along the line 55 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 illustrates the doll when completely made;

Fig. '7 illustrates the frame of an animal, for

instance, a dog, made in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 8 illustrates the blank by which the frame is covered; and

Fig. 9 illustrates the completed dog.

The frame of the doll, comprises the strands 2|, 22 and 23. The strands 2| and 22 form the legs of the doll, are twisted together to form the trunk and the end of one of the strands, here shown as that designated as 2|, extends upwardly to form a support for the head of the doll. The strand 23 forms the arms of the doll and is provided at the middle with a loop 24 which slides over the upper end of the strand 2| and rests on the twisted end of the strand 22. Each strand comprises one or more lengths of Wire carrying short fibers which extend transversely thereof as, for example, the well known pipe cleaner. The ends of the wire core of the strand 23 project beyond the covering and are looped to form the palm and thumb of each hand.

The frame is draped by a preformed blank of soft fibrous material loosely bonded together, such as plush, cotton, wool or the like, preferably cut in a blank 25, as shown in Fig. 2, which is divided into sections 26, 21, 28 and 29. The blank 25 is Wrapped around the frame 20, and has an inner villous surface contacting with portions of the villous covering of the frame 20 as shown in. Fig. 3. The parts of section 26 are wound-around the legs of the frame, and terminate at approximately the knee joints. The parts of sections 21 and 28 are bent around the trunk, the line of joinder of sections 26 and 21 being shorter than the line of joinder of sections 21 and 28, so that the doll is smaller at the waist than at the shoulder. parts of section 29 are bent down over the arms of the frame (see Fig. 4) to give the effect of shoulders. It will be noted that the portions of the blank surrounding the trunk of the frame are appreciably spaced therefrom and are so held by the contact of the parts of section-26 with the legs and of the parts of section 29 with the arms.

The blank is held in that position either by adhesively joining the overlapping portions or by applying an outer sheath or both. The outer sheath 3!] consists of one or more strips of fabric wound around the covered frame, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. It will be observed that the fabric alone covers the legs below the knees, the feet and the arms of the frame. Mounted upon the shoulders is a head and bust unit 3|, preferably a casting of rubber, plaster or the like. The completed doll is now dipped into a bath of latex or other rubber solution which provides an integral sheathing for the doll to protect it from contamination and easy soiling, and which also serves to join the overlapping strips of fabric 3 and to secure the unit 3| in position.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate an animal mad-e according to this invention and comprising a frame 40, and a blank 45 of covering material. The frame 49, like the frame 21!, comprises three strands 4|, 42 and 43. The strands are twisted to form the body of the animal, the ends of strands 4| and 42 each forming one fore leg and one hind leg, and the ends of strand 43 forming the head and tail. The end of strand '43 which forms the head is bent back on itself to suggest the nose.

The preformed blank 45 comprises sections 46, 41 and 48 integrally joined together. The parts of section 46 are twisted around the rear legs of the frame, the parts of section 41 are wound The around the body of the frame, the longer part being below the shorter part so that the joinder is beneath and the parts of section 48 are twisted around the fore legs of the frame. The slot 49 in section 48 receives the neck of the frame. The head and neck and the tail are covered by separate, suitably formed blanks 50 and 5|. The line of joinder of sections 46 and 41 is shorter than the line of joinder of sections 41 and 48, so that the body is circumferentially greater at the fore legs than at the hind legs. The section 41 surrounds the body of the frame loosely and is not secured thereto but is held in position by the twisting of the parts of sections 46 and 48 around the legs of the frame. The material of which the blank 45 is made is soft and inherently resilient, and is preferably not covered by fabric like the doll. The overlying portions of the blanks 45, 58 and 5| are adhesively joined and the blanks are similarly connected.

From the above description it will be apparent that surfaces of both the frames and the covering blanks are villous and thus provide a multiplicity of air-containing and connected interstices or pockets which, when the latex-coated fabric outer covering is employed, are fully enclosed. Thus the toys described are soft and resilient to the touch, and the toys can be easily bent at the joints and caused to assume, and will retain, any desired position.

While the blanks are closely twisted around the legs or arms, they, as well as the covering of the frame, are inherently sufliciently yieldable so that there is no interference with the bending of the frame. By terminating the blank at the knee (see Figs. 3 and 4), the legs have a normal tendency to bend at that point. It will also be apparent that the body sections of the blanks are spaced substantially from the frame. Thus those parts of the toys are particularly soft and yieldable to the touch, not only because of the inherent resilience of the material, but also because of the space surrounding the frame.

While certain embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that I am not limited thereto and that other embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in ,the following claims.

I claim:

1. A flexible figure toy of the class described including a skeleton frame composed of rigidly united members of bendable wire, said frame hav- 1 ing a resiliently yieldable villous covering and shaped to simulate the limbs and trunk portions of an animated form, a preformed sectional blank having an inner villous surface enveloping said frame, said blank having end sections and an intermediate section, said end sections being wound tightly over the limb portions and the intermediate sections covering the trunk and spaced therefrom to provide a flexible soft body which simulates the elastic yieldability of flesh and is soft to the touch, and an outer sheath of soft and inherently elastic waterproof material enclosing said frame and blank.

2. A flexible figure toy of the class described including a skeleton frame composed of rigidly united members of bendable wire, said frame having a resiliently yieldable villous covering and shaped to simulate the limbs and trunk portions of an animated form, a preformed sectional blank having an inner villous surface enveloping said frame, said blank having end sections and an intermediate section, said end sections being wound tightly over the limb portions and the intermediate section covering the trunk and spaced therefrom to provde a flexible soft body which simulates the elastic yieldability of flesh and is soft to the touch, fabric sheathing wound around the frame and blank, and an outer sheath of soft and inherently elastic waterproof material enclosing said frame, blank and sheathing.

3. A flexible doll comprising a skeleton frame composed of rigidly united members of bendable Wire shaped to simulate the trunk, legs and arms of a doll, each of said members having a resiliently yieldable villous covering, a preformed sectional blank having an inner villous surface enveloping said frame, said blank being in close contact 1 with the arms and leg portions of the frame and being spaced from the frame at the trunk to provide a flexible body which simulates the elastic yieldability of flesh and is particularly soft and yieldable to the touch, said blank terminating adjacent the knees of the doll so that the legs have a normal tendency to bend to permit the doll to assume various positions, a fabric sheath covering the arms and trunk and extending below the knees to cover the legs and feet, and an outer sheath of latex-coated fabric covering said frame, blank and fabric sheath.

4. A flexible doll comprising a skeleton frame composed of rigidly united members of bendable wire, said members having a resiliently yieldable villous covering and shaped to simulate the trunk, legs and arms of a doll, a preformed sectional blank having an inner villous surface enveloping said frame, said blank having end sections and an intermediate section, one of said end sections being bendable over the arms to form shoulders, the other end section covering the legs, and the intermediate section formed to cover the trunk but spaced therefrom so that the doll is smaller at the waist than at the shoulders, a fabric sheath enclosing the arms, trunk and legs of the doll, and an outer sheath of latex-coated fabric covering said frame, blank and fabric sheath.

MARJORIE TRUE GREGG. 

